TripAdvisor stock soars, but analysts question the reasons TripAdvisor emphasizes non-hotel business amid online-travel woes, but analysts concerned about ‘less mature’ effort, forecastTripAdvisor’s stock is ripping higher, but analysts are concerned about the main reasons for excitement: The non-hotel business and a forecast heavily weighted for the second half.

This might be the time when you can finally get quality stocks on sale Investors who’ve been sitting on the sidelines may want to make small, regular investmentsInvestors who’ve been sitting on the sidelines may want to make small, regular investments. By Phil van Doorn.

TripAdvisor soars 20% higher after earnings show bullish forecastTripAdvisor Inc. shares zoomed 20% higher Wednesday afternoon on a stronger-than-expected forecast for the current year. In a fourth-quarter earnings report, TripAdvisor revealed a loss of $84 million, or 60 cents a share, on sales of $321 million, up from $316 million a year ago. The loss was mostly attributable to a $73 million charge related to new tax laws; after stripping that and other one-time costs out, TripAdvisor reported earnings of 6 cents a share, down from 16 cents a share a year ago. Analysts on average expected adjusted earnings of 14 cents a share on sales of $309 million. Excitement seemed to stem from TripAdvisor's forecast for the current year, which called for adjusted Ebitda to be flat, while analysts assumed it would continue to fall. "We believe our addressable market opportunity, our unique competitive position and our growth strategy position us to return to double-digit revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margins in excess of what we have operated to over the past couple of years," executives said in prepared remarks. TripAdvisor shares rose to more than $48 in after-hours action, after closing with a 2.1% gain at $40.72. The stock had been damaged amid Expedia Inc. and Priceline Group Inc. , falling 22% in the past year as the S&P 500 index gained 13.9%.

Stock market notches daily gain, but posts largest weekly drop since early 2016 Volatility index subsides as stocks reboundU.S. stock-market indexes do an about-face in late-Friday action, booking sharp gains for the session, but recording the worst weekly losses in about two years for the benchmarks, during one of the more frenetic stretches of trading on Wall Street.

As Expedia spends money on ad war, its stock pays the price Analysts unanimously against selling the stock as valuation takes nearly $3 billion hitExpedia shares are down sharply after the company reported disappointing quarterly results and spoke of sizable investments planned for the year ahead.

Priceline, TripAdvisor stocks sink after Expedia earnings fall shortShares of online-travel businesses Priceline Group Inc. and TripAdvisor Inc. are down 2.6% and 1.9%, respectively, in premarket trading Friday after Expedia Inc. reported and delivered a disappointing outlook for the full year ahead. Expedia said it would be investing heavily in marketing and working to increase its hotel inventory. All three companies in recent months. Expedia shares are down 15% in premarket trading. TripAdvisor is due to report December-quarter results on Feb. 14, while Priceline is set to report on Feb. 27. TripAdvisor shares are down 24% in the past 12 months, compared with a 12% gain for Priceline shares. Expedia's stock is little changed over that time, as the S&P 500 has gained 12%.

Expedia shares tumble 17% premarket as Benchmark downgrades to hold from buyShares of online travel service Expedia Inc. tumbled 17% in premarket trade Friday, after Benchmark downgraded the stock to hold from buy after disappointing earnings. "We were concerned after the management transition that the apparent inventory war brewing between Priceline (PCLN:Buy) and Expedia would weigh on the space similar to what happened in China with Qunar," analyst Daniel Kurnos wrote in a note. "However, we believed management had taken their lumps in the initial guidance, which, unfortunately, proved not to be the case." Kurnos slashed his estimates for the company and said it expects earnings to come in at the low end of the revised guidance range, "with not enough growth to offset the increased investment near-term." Expedia reported fourth-quarter profit of $55.2 million, or 35 cents a share, on sales of $2.32 billion, up from $2.09 billion a year ago. After adjustments for stock-based compensation and other effects, Expedia claimed earnings of 84 cents a share, down from $1.17 a year before. Analysts on average expected adjusted earnings of $1.15 a share on sales of $2.36 billion. Shares are down 0.2% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 has gained 12%.

Expedia plummets as costs outpace sales growthShares in Expedia Inc. plunged more than 18% in extended trading Thursday after the travel company reported earnings were hurt by increased spending. Rising costs in the fourth quarter outpaced sales growth, and the company forecast even more spending ahead as it focuses on cloud infrastructure and marketing investments.

Expedia stock plunges after wide earnings missExpedia Inc. shares dove 15% in late trading Thursday after the online travel website revealed earnings well below expectations. Expedia reported fourth-quarter profit of $55.2 million, or 35 cents a share, on sales of $2.32 billion, up from $2.09 billion a year ago. After adjustments for stock-based compensation and other effects, Expedia claimed earnings of 84 cents a share, down from $1.17 a year before. Analysts on average expected adjusted earnings of $1.15 a share on sales of $2.36 billion. Chief Executive Mark Okerstrom stressed that changes Expedia has made were beginning to pay off in 2018. "Over the past several months, we have made key organizational changes, aligned our
company around common objectives and began executing on a new direction aimed at accelerating the geographic expansion of our global travel platform," he said in Thursday's announcement. Shares closed at $123.03 Thursday, then plunged to less than $105; Expedia's 52-week intraday low price in regular trading is $115.55.

Biggest Nasdaq winners and losers in 2017: Chip makers, videogame publishers lead tech A preference for growth stocks propelled the Nasdaq ahead of the S&P 500 and Dow for the yearTech stocks performed better than the broad market this year, with several chip makers and videogame stocks among the top performers.

Analysts expect these large-cap U.S. stocks to rise at least 25% in 2018 Last year’s list is a mixed bag, which is why you ought to invest for the long runLast year’s list is a mixed bag, which is why you ought to invest for the long run. By Phil van Doorn.

Uber names new COOUber Technologies Inc.'s long search for a chief operating officer has come to an end. Barney Harford, the former CEO of Orbitz, will take on the Uber COO job, he said on Twitter Wednesday. Harford worked at Expedia with Uber's new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, after Expedia Inc. acquired Orbitz in 2015. He has been working as a senior advisor at Uber since October, according to Bloomberg. Uber is trying to change up its corporate culture after a series of scandals. Founder Travis Kalanick was ousted from the CEO job earlier this year. Uber was dealt a disappointing blow earlier Wednesday after European regulators , which could open the firm up to more regulations.

Uber corporate espionage and bribery alleged in ex-employee’s letter Former Uber employee accuses Uber of violating federal and state laws in letterA federal judge made public late Friday a letter Uber Technologies Inc. paid $7 million to keep quiet, that laid out in explicit detail the company’s alleged corporate espionage program that included wiretapping, hacks, bribery and Central Intelligence Agency-trained spies to further its ambitions to dominate the ride-hailing industry worldwide.

Cowen analysts name Priceline among their 'best ideas' for 2018Share of Priceline Group Inc. rose 0.2% in midday trading after analysts at Cowen and Co. dubbed the stock one of their "best ideas" for 2018. The analysts, led by Kevin Kopelman, think there are several misconceptions on Wall Street about Priceline's stock, which has fallen 7.6% in the last three months. Kopelman doesn't think that Priceline is moving away from Alphabet Inc.'s Google with its ad spending, and he views the company as Google's "travel wingman," even as the search platform changes its ad mix. "While there are some negatives for Priceline in the mix shift within Google results from traditional search ads to meta-search ads (i.e. "Hotel Finder"), we think Priceline is structurally positioned to continue to win on the channel -- versus other online-travel agencies and the hotel chains -- given Priceline's leading conversion rates," he wrote. Kopelman also thinks that Priceline "pulled away from the competition" in the 2017 fiscal year, posting stronger growth in contribution profit than rival Expedia Inc. . Priceline shares have gained 18% so far this year, while Expedia's stock is up 4.7%. The S&P 500 has risen 19% in that time.

Business travel could be big in 2018, and these companies would lose out Analysts downgraded shares of Expedia and Priceline on concerns that business travel would limit room supplyExpedia and Priceline could get hurt if business travelers end up occupying more hotel rooms.

Expedia, Priceline shares fall as MKM turns cautiousShares of Expedia Inc. dropped 1.7% and of Priceline Group Inc. fell 0.6% in premarket trade Thursday after analysts at MKM downgraded both stocks to neutral from buy. The analysts, led by Rob Sanderson, are concerned about falling room night growth at Expedia, which they attribute to tight supply that's driving more customers to consider "alternative" lodging options. "Near-term challenges could get worse next year," he wrote regarding Expedia. On Priceline, Sanderson is worried about the company's interest in the vacation-rental business, which may have "less favorable" economics than the hotel business. He also is concerned about the company's decision to shift its advertising strategy to one that could have long-term benefits but weigh on margins in the short run. Expedia shares have gained 5.2% so far this year, while Priceline shares are up 17.3%. The S&P 500 has advanced 17.4% in that time.

Travel industry ad wars hurting Expedia, Priceline and TripAdvisor stocks Shares in the big three online travel companies dive after more disappointing results MondayThe three largest names in online travel—Expedia Inc. TripAdvisor Inc. and Priceline Group Inc.—have seen their shares dip after third-quarter earnings reports, in part because the companies seem to be planning an increase in advertising spending.

Expedia heads for worst day in four years after earnings disappointmentExpedia Inc. shares plunged as much as 20% in Friday trading after , trimming billions off of the company's market capitalization. The stock fell as low as $118 and were headed for the biggest one-day percentage drop in more than four years. The drop, which came after at least 18 analysts dropped their price target on the stock Friday morning, cost Expedia almost $4 billion in market value at its nadir in morning trading. Expedia stood out , sending the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq composite index higher.

Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Intel find billions more in profit Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Intel increased profits by more than $2 billion and revenue by $19 billion in just one yearFour of the most valuable tech companies in the world—Amazon.com Inc., Google parent company Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp.—destroyed expectations for profit and revenue in third-quarter reports Thursday afternoon, collectively bringing in about $2.2 billion more profit and $23 billion more revenue than the same quarter a year ago.

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